This is a well-intentioned break from the Hallmark tradition in that it sprawls beyond the network's predictable and cloying formula to focus on several couples - and, if you can believe it, a further subplot that doesn't involve romance at all. That said, any one of these storylines could have fueled an entire film, and if you know how sketchily drawn the average Hallmark movie's characters are, imagine how little you'd get to know about them if you multiplied by four. Obviously, this entry is overplotted and bursting at the seams, even more so because the screen time between plots is uneven, so some characters are allotted only a small handful of scenes with which to register. Some actors look alike (is it Jax or is it Luke?), which often makes it challenging to register which subplot we're in. The seasonal charm is there, and the performances are true, but the end result is a hodgepodge embarrassment of riches. That said, it's encouraging to see Hallmark finally starting to expand its horizons in terms of scope and formula.
Review of Write Before Christmas
